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Hoax bomb call near Golden Temple keeps cops on toes
A hoax bomb call near the Golden Temple in the wee hours of Saturday just days ahead the 39th anniversary of Operation Bluestar has put the Punjab Police on alert
AMRITSAR
A hoax bomb call near the Golden Temple in the wee hours of Saturday just days ahead the 39th anniversary of Operation Bluestar has put the Punjab Police on alert.
A massive cordon and search operation was launched after the police control room received a call on the 112 toll-free number at 1.05am on Saturday saying that four bombs have been planted near the Golden Temple.
Immediately after receiving the call, teams of Amritsar police and bomb disposal squad reached the spot. Though nothing was recovered during a three-hour-long search, the police arrested the caller, identified as Gagandeep Singh (19) of Majith Mandi area near the Golden Temple.
“The caller told over phone that four bombs have been planted at the rear end of the Akal Takht building. The entire area was cordoned off and a thorough searched was launched, but nothing suspicious was found,” said deputy commissioner of police (DCP-law and order) Parminder Singh Bhandal.
He said: “While our search was on, a team was working to trace the caller, who had switched off his phone. When he switched on the phone, our team traced the location and nabbed him.”
“During questioning, the caller told the police that he made the call to create panic among people visiting the Golden Temple. The accused had stolen the phone used to make the call from the Golden Temple a few days ago,” the DCP added.
A case under Sections 505-1 &2 (statements conducing to public mischief), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 182 (false information, with intent to cause public servant to use his lawful power to the injury of another person) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered against the accused. The accused is already facing a criminal case for alluring a minor girl in Batala, said the police.
The hoax call came days after three back-to-back low intensity blasts rocked the area around the Golden Temple. From May 6 to 11, the blasts had occurred on the Heritage Street leading to the Golden Temple and on the rear end of a Golden Temple ‘serai’ (inn). The police had arrested the accused behind these blasts.
The security in and around the Golden Temple has already been beefed up by Punjab Police keeping in view of the Operation Bluestar anniversary, conducted by the army to flush out militants hiding in the Golden Temple on June 6, 1984.
Various outfits, including radical outfit Dal Khalsa has already given a call of Amritsar band on June 6.
